


Give it a Shot

by Chromophilic_Daydream



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe, Detective Goro, Drinking, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Pianist Akira
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 11:52:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13189518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chromophilic_Daydream/pseuds/Chromophilic_Daydream
Summary: Sometimes all that's needed is one night, a few drinks and a great conversation to spark something incredible or something wistful. Some kind of magic or some kind of curse.It's hard to find balance while thousands of miles apart.





	Give it a Shot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Phius](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phius/gifts).



> Thank you so much Phius for being so supportive and talking to me about this idea! This is for you! Thank you menthechocolat for betaing and shout out to Mia as well! 
> 
> This idea is so much fun, it was a blast to write!

Lunchtime was always hit or miss in regard to the number of emails he would have stacked in his inbox. He would either have absolutely nothing pending his attention or have an obscene amount.

Today was the latter, a good day.

He flicked over his screen idly, smiling to himself and shaking his head with every message.

[Hey, make sure you eat an actual breakfast.]

[Call me when you’re free from your hell work.]

[Check out this cat {IMG_ATTCH.JPG}]

[Akechi Goro if you don’t call me, I’m going to be very upset with you.]

And numerous others, some with even more photos attached, some with just a string of emojis.

It was humorous to think that the person who sent these was someone as blank-faced as Kurusu Akira. He probably sent these English cat memes with a completely straight face.

Akira was as absurd as always. They hadn’t sent each other a message since the last unanswered text Goro had sent Akira, which was almost a week ago. This was normal though, days of radio silence only to get a flood of messages that took several minutes to read. Afterwards, they would talk and catch up and then silence again. It still wasn’t something he was quite used to.

Just as he was finishing looking at the last of his emails, one that contained a picture of what looked to be a giant marketplace with an escalator for shopping carts, his phone buzzed in his hand. Speak of the devil-

Akira’s name flickered across his screen. He slid his finger across it and placed the phone to his ear.

“Yes, Akira?” He asked as he answered, keeping his voice calm and collected.

“You didn’t call me.” The other’s voice said without hesitation.

Goro let out an exasperated sigh.

“I just went on lunch and was reading your messages.” He hummed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You know, I don’t harass you when you don’t contact me right away.”

“Why not? You should.”

“Harassing someone is against the law, Akira.” He chuckled under his breath before closing the door to his locker.

“Whatcha going to do, Mr. Detective? Arrest me?” The suggestive purr in Akira’s voice made him pull the phone away and take a deep breath to keep the blush from spreading down his neck. Goro should have been used to such a line but it seemed to fluster him every time it was used…

Or every time that drawl in Akira’s voice became leaden with intent.

Akira was as shameless a flirt as ever but the best way to avoid the topic spiraling down to further suggestive talk was to hastily change the subject. It was something he learned very quickly in their interactions.

“As if I have time to arrest some low life like you.”

“Wow, already insulting me? We’ve only been talking for a few minutes.” He could hear the humor laced in his words, and could almost see him smiling. Good, he got the hint. Goro had to be back at work soon, it wasn’t the time or the place to indulge.

“Funny how you manage to bring it out in me. How has work been?” He asked while leaning up against his locker. They chatted about idle, mundane things like how their days have been going. Truthfully, it had been almost a week since they’d spoken. Goro never wanted to be the one to break that silence, just because he knew how busy the pianist was.

It didn’t make those days he received nothing his inbox any easier though.

When they first met, almost a year ago, it felt like he had known Akira his entire life, when in actuality, it ended up only being a few days.

His coworker had dragged him to her little sister's wedding. Sae said it was because Goro and Makoto had known each other from cram school in high school, but he found that excuse flimsy at best. He had protested quite a bit but Sae was insistent on him accompanying her. He eventually gave in to her demands, though he informed her that she was going to be his designated driver. She agreed, which was the best he could get out of the situation.

He hated wearing suits. He always felt too stiff in them and he made a spectacle of himself every time he wore them. The last time was when he had to address the public about the crimes of the Prime Minister that he helped uncover. It was another one of Sae's pestering moments, for him to get up in front of the audience and explain their findings. It had felt pretty satisfying, helping destroy his father's image after everything the man had done to so many people... himself included.

Unfortunately, that press conference had set him up for almost instant fame or hate depending on who was asked. And that reputation clung to him more than his suit did.

He hated every moment of this. Not only did he not know Makoto too well, but Sae's responsibilities as her sister were taking her away from him, which left him to fend for himself in uncharted waters where anyone could be a shark.

That quickly became apparent. Nearly everyone he had tried to interact with recognized him immediately at the reception while chatting over the catering. It was a mixed reaction of distaste or adoration and it was wearing on him. He vaguely wondered exactly when they'd be able to leave, but he hadn't seen Sae since the ceremony. He should have expected this, it was her little sister getting married after all.

He almost had wished he could retreat to some secluded section of the room and just relax with a glass of champagne and have no one around him. Goro decided to at least get away from the food where people were congregating after he gave his words of congratulations to Makoto and her new wife, Ann. It was the perfect opportunity to excuse himself, absently walking away from the crowd and nursing his glass of alcohol, willing himself to loosen up.

That's when the soothing notes of the piano had enticed him. He followed it, finding the source. The reception hall was very informal, the piano was the only source of music being provided, it seemed just from simple observation. Behind the keyboard sat another stranger, playing serenely, as if he was sleeping and not actually producing music that filled the hall.

As he approached him, the man's eyes opened and locked onto his own. He felt a shiver run down his spine that he blamed on the champagne. It was starting to make his head a little fuzzy, so it was easy to write off. The man was... charming to say the least. His eyes were bright and grey, popping out vividly against the black frame of his glasses and equally black hair that fell in unruly curls but pushed away from his face. His lips twisted into a smile upon looking at him. He quietly motioned for Goro to come join him on the bench.

Something in his stomach knotted with some underlying emotion he couldn't pinpoint. But he followed his lead and moved around the piano to take up as little room on the bench as he could. The man didn't pay him much more attention after that, but Goro was mesmerized by how quickly his fingers flew down the keys of the piano. It was so relaxing to listen to. If he wasn’t so uncomfortable in the suit, he could have easily fallen asleep.

A soft jab in his ribs made him open his eyes to the man playing the piano.

“Hey stranger, the brides are dancing. It’s rude to nap at a wedding.” He whispered, not once taking his sight off of the two women dancing slowly together to some tune he didn’t recognize.

“I wasn’t napping!” He almost stuttered out, gripping his champagne flute a bit tighter.

"I'm sure." The man shot him a grin but said nothing else.

Goro looked away from him, more in an attempt to hide the way his face flushed than actually to look at the women on the dance floor. It worked splendidly, it allowed him to breathe a bit. The champagne was stronger than he thought. Well, that's what he told himself.

It absolutely had nothing to do with the handsome man who just teased him.

He took another swig of champagne.

As the dance wrapped up, the pianist stuck a final note and soft applause broke out through the room. It was then that the sound system in the hall picked up and played soft pre-recorded music. Goro instantly missed the live piano.

He barely had time to turn towards the man again and offer some polite gratitude for letting him sit with him when Sae caught his eye.

"Akechi, there you are." She looked upset, far too upset for someone attending her little sister's wedding.

"Ah, Sae-san, what's wrong?"

She frowned and shrugged on a jacket she had arrived in. "Something came up at the station, I need to leave. I already talked to Makoto about it but I have to go now."

Finally his opportunity to leave. But for some reason, he didn't want to go quite yet and he had a feeling she was more informing him than inviting him to go with her. She didn't say 'we have to leave' after all.

"This is your sister's wedding, they can't wait a little longer?"

"I'm afraid not. And this is a matter that only I can attend to. I'm sorry, but you'll have to find your own way home." He figured that's what it came down to. At least she didn't just leave him there without explaining herself. They were out some distance from his apartment, but he was sure he'd find a train route home. The fact that he wasn't allowed to come with her meant it was probably something to do with Shido, and that worried him more than actually getting home.

"Is everything alright? Nothing-" She waved him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Don't worry about it, it'll get handled. Just make sure you get home safely."

"I'll make sure he does."

Goro almost jumped at the sudden intrusion of another person's voice. He had completely forgotten he was still sitting next to the pianist.

"Kurusu-san." Sae smiled at him and Goro turned to the other man who was getting up from the bench to greet her.

"Niijima-san, it's been a long time."

“Indeed it has.”

He watched them exchange greetings, all the while wondering why on earth this man just jumped into their conversation. He was plenty capable of taking care of himself and for him to intrude with such a comment left him rustled. She bowed to them both and departed and soon he was left with this unnamed bastard who just carelessly tossed him another smile.

“So, do you make it a habit of butting into other people’s conversations and claiming responsibility for them?” There was thinly laced venom in his voice that he washed down with the remaining bit of champagne that swished in his glass.

The pianist looked down at him. “Yeah, actually, it’s gotten me in some trouble in the past.” He chuckled to himself and scratched his cheek. “I don’t know, you seemed to want to keep me company when you came over here, so why not return the favor?”

It took everything in him not to snort as a response. He was above such reactions though, even though he was feeling pleasantly warm by the prospect.

“Please don’t flatter yourself, I enjoyed listening to the music, that’s all.”

“Oh, I never flatter myself, I’d rather someone else,” His tone turned very pointed and sharp with implication. “do that instead and saying you enjoyed my music is flattery enough. Thank you for listening.” All of the sudden he turned sheepish, however. It piqued his curiosity as his posture slumped forward, shoulder arched down and his hand massaging the back of his neck.

"This may be kinda forward of me, but can I refill your glass?"

Goro's eyebrow raised at the idea and he eyed his empty flute. “Sure. I'll accompany you." He responded, moving to stand up when a hand was offered to him. It almost made him jump. He looked up into the sharp, warm eyes and felt his breath catch in his throat. Goro took his hand and offered a small smile.

"I never introduced myself, I'm Kurusu Akira."

It was then that Goro couldn’t find it in himself to continue to be standoffish. His job was reading people, understanding the motives of those around him. And the reads he got off this stranger were pointing to genuine intrigue.

"Akechi Goro." He was helped to his feet, the hand holding his lingered for just a few moments longer than it probably should have. But he didn’t find himself eager to pull it away. He found himself staring into those crystal clear eyes that held some sort intensity he couldn’t describe. Those eyes captivated him, cutting through him but he held the gaze, unabashed.

Kurusu hadn’t let go of his hand yet, and Goro had been the one to win that staring contest that left him feeling like his suit was even more constricting than it had been, or the hall had gotten even more stuffy. He let out a deeply held breath as Kurusu dropped his hand, his cheeks stained the faintest of pink. He must have realized just how long they had been touching.

“Ah, sorry.” He apologized, fidgeting with his bangs. Goro couldn’t help but laugh. For someone who was so forward just a few moments ago, his resolve crumpled almost instantly just from such a small interaction? It was interesting.

“I accept your apology, Kurusu-san.” He smirked at him, an almost toothy grin. For someone so average he was quite… attractive. Perhaps the night would be fun after all. “You can make it up to me by getting me that drink.”

“You got it. Oh… just call me Akira.”

And so he did.

That whole night evolved into just that, some absolutely needed interactions with someone who seemed to expect absolutely nothing from him. It was a great change of pace that he desperately wanted but never sought after.

Conversation flowed like streams of champagne the rest of the night. He learned that Kurusu Akira was friends with Makoto and Ann both from high school. Goro, in turn, explained that he had gone to cram school with Makoto and worked with her older sister. Akira explained he had only ever briefly heard about him in passing. It was refreshing.

It was one of those nights he had heard about from co-workers, one where two people meet and they get along so splendidly that the hours slip like they were moments. Usually, that happened when people were dating though, not with completely new people. He didn’t know, he never paid much attention to things he deemed trivial.

But that night had ended up being the best night of his life. He never was very good at forming relationships with people. They were always founded on gritty, superficial facts or opinions that couldn’t stand up to the tides of connections and deeper meaning. But with Akira, everything felt sturdy. They talked about everything and absolutely nothing, all while drinking the night away.

He hadn’t felt that way since, though. Every time he could talk to Akira was enjoyable but it left him cold after the call hung up. It was a constant battle between time zones for them. It weighed heavily on his mind as the days melted into weeks, then months. There was no rhyme or reason to their relationship if it could even be called that.

Truthfully, Goro didn’t know exactly what defined them. They could be boyfriends, a couple but he wasn’t so sure. He thought they were more than friends. Maybe friends that shared a mutual attraction. Sometimes it felt like it would be nothing more than that, though he knew that the umbrella term of ‘friends’ did not describe the relationship they had.

But his inexperience with people showed through when he thought about what he and Akira were.

He kept to himself, putting his goals and ambitions before his own personal social life. People were tiring to deal with, they exhausted him even though he tried hard to remain as pleasant to them as possible. He would go to work functions when need be but out of necessity. The last thing he wanted was someone to look down on him or for him to be a burden to anyone.

But with Akira it was different. Akira always reached out to him, even in times where he didn’t think he would. It would have been so easy for the distance to help them fade from each other’s lives but Akira had become a constant, always coming back stubbornly though there was really no reason to.

Goro didn’t think that was a normal thing for someone who could be defined as just a friend. But they weren’t… lovers, per se, either. Neither of them seemed very adamant about closing the very large gap of several thousand miles between them. So what existed was this very fragmented grasp of normality. But it was the closest thing he had to normality, so he just put up with this mocking imitation of a functional relationship.

They were both so busy with their careers that there was no wiggle room for negotiations. Sometimes all he had were past emails that he couldn't bring himself to delete, even though they clogged up his inbox. He wondered just how often Akira looked through all their messages... and if it was more or less than he did. He wondered just how lonely someone like Akira could be, to try to put that much effort into someone he had only been with once in person.

Akira was enigmatic and captivating. That night they drank way too much and laughed about utterly stupid things stuck in his mind so clearly. Akira had flashed him a dangerous grin near the end of the night, and he knew a stupid idea was going to tumble out of his new acquaintance's mouth. The party was still going, even though it was well past midnight and, for the second time that night, Akira offered his hand out to Goro.

“Want to dance?”

Truthfully, he kind of wanted to. But he was also starting to get incredibly tired and still had to find a way home. Besides, he was never much one for dancing, no matter how much alcohol he had.

“Really, I should be going home…” He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. They had been talking in the small lounge area attached to the hall, away from the partying crowd but still close enough to the drink. Akira never strayed too far from his side the entire evening and night. Even when the pianist made his rounds to talk to friends, he was soon back to Goro’s side.

Akira frowned at him, disappointment evident in the way his eyebrows knitted together. But, for the second time that night, his expression dissolved into embarrassment.

“You know, I have a hotel room here. You can just stay with me tonight. I have a pullout couch in the room.” He offered. “Niijima-san is going to kill me though, I told her I’d get you home but…” He shook his now empty glass. “I don’t even think I can do that now.”

Goro mulled over the thought… He failed to come up with a reason not to accept, his mind hazy from the atmosphere and alcohol.

“If you’re sure.”

Akira nodded in affirmation. “It’s no problem. It’s the least I could do. We could get going now if you want.”

Goro took his new friend’s hand again, as it was still held out to him. Upon standing up, however, he felt slightly dizzy. He really overdid it with drinks. He sniffed a bit, having laughed so much that he was a bit congested. He hadn’t had this much fun in so long.

“Yeah, let’s do it before it rains again.”

Akira led him to the door and opened it with gusto, pulling him outside into the dark courtyard that was damp from the chilling rain that occupied most of the evening. The air was so refreshing, the scent of fresh rain filling his lungs.

He stole a glance at Akira, who was in the same state as him, enjoying the coolness of the night.

There was a silence that floated between them in the air but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Not in the least, it was pleasant and calming. Peaceful.

The rumble of thunder, however, dislodged him off his current train of thought. The sky was spotted with dark clouds that blotted out the stars and moon with their inky, angry with scorn.

“We should probably hurry.”

As they were making their way through the recreation area of the hotel, Goro noticed Akira wasn’t completely bothered by the prospect of rain.

“Are you always this slow?” He called back, several feet ahead of Akira who just shot him a wry smile.

“You know, it’s fine if it starts raining you can just use my coat so you don’t get wet.”

“I’d rather not.” He stopped and waited for Akira to catch up while another roar of thunder threatened to break the sky.

“I just miss this sometimes.” His companion said, solemnly looking around, but he seemed to catch himself and cleared his throat loudly. “Besides I’m with great company, no amount of rain could ruin that.”

“Well, you better hurry before I leave you behind to drown in the storm or just call a taxi.” He huffed out, indignantly.

Akira immediately straightened up.

“Rude, I’m a gentleman and I wouldn’t allow you to take a taxi home when you can’t even walk straig-.” The pianist jogged to catch up to him, losing his balance and slipping on the wet ground, it was enough to dislodge his footing.

Goro reached out and steadied him on instinct. Akira grabbed onto him, wrapping his arms around his chest like a lifeline while he gained his footing again. But they stayed there. Neither of them made a move besides Akira chuckling out a soft thank you.

But neither of them moved after that, they stood there quietly, the rumbling thunder warming the air that they inhaled, an electric force that paralyzed them.

His heart was racing so much he felt like he was going to be sick. Akira finally pulled himself away, but his hands still rested on Goro’s shoulders. He was staring at him like he was something fond. Some precious thing.

“Goro?” Akira whispered like they were in a room full of people and he wanted no one else to hear. Like the world around them didn’t exist anymore and it was just them. The dark haired man opened his mouth, only to have his words swallowed by thunder and the even louder hammering of Goro’s heart.

Suddenly Akira’s lips were by his ear, a hot huff of breath tickling him along with the soft curls of his hair brushing up against Goro’s heated cheek. They were so close, very close. Too close.

That was when Goro shoved him aside.

Right into the pool he didn’t realize was beside them in the darkness of the night and the heat of the moment. Shock had numbed his brain though, his hand was clamped over his ear and all he could do was stare as Akira fell straight into the water.

There was a giant splash that shook him out of the pure shock he just received. His mind was working far too slowly to process what exactly was happening. Oh. Shit.

He rushed to the edge of the pool to see Akira reemerge from the depths.

“Well, I guess I don’t have to worry about the rain now.” He took off his glasses and wiped his face ineffectively with an equally wet hand.

And Goro couldn’t help but laugh. The effects of the champagne were still in his system and something about Akira now soaked and disgruntled made him think of one of those videos of cats being bathed. His hair was wrecked, his clothes formed to his body and he almost looked like he could start hissing.

The problem was Goro couldn’t stop laughing.

“It’s not that funny.” Akira made no moves to leave the pool though, like a cat that had been bathed but now was so upset, all it could do was meow angrily. That just spurred Goro on more, he now was crouched down by the pool edge, laughing so hard at the similarities that he had tears in his eyes.

“Wow, this is fantastic for my self-esteem.”

Goro wiped his eyes, his sides were hurting now, but one more look at Akira’s pout sent him into a fit of giggles again.

“Okay, are you going to help me out or what?”

The detective nodded and held out his hand. Akira grabbed onto it but yanked him into the water with him, dunking him underwater and hoisting him back up.

The water was cold but given how uncomfortable the suits were, he didn’t mind so much past the initial surprised yelp he let out. Akira smirked at him and splashed him in the face. “Two can play at this game.” He jeered, and splashed him again.

This was fun. This was really fun.

Goro splashed him back. The fight lasted several minutes, both of them now laughing through the duration of the all-out war they were having, both declaring victory over the other before calling a truce that Goro quickly betrayed, sending a wave of water into Akira’s open mouth. He felt like he was a teenager all over again, or rather the teenager he never got to be. This sheer joy of spontaneous adventures that didn’t even have to be big, like cracking the case of a corrupt politician that happened to be his father… no, something simple, like falling into a pool with another person his age that was genuinely interested in his company and having a dumb splashing fight. He hadn’t felt this alive in years.

“Okay, okay I give up, you win. This time.” Akira coughed out the water that was in his mouth and smiled at him. Again, they were close. Goro realized it when he calmed down, letting out softly huffed laughs and returned the smile earnestly.

“Sorry I pushed you, I don’t know why…” He slid his fingers through his hair, pushing some of the wet strands behind his ear.

“It’s fine. I got nervous, myself.” Akira sighed and shook his head. “What I was trying to tell you, though, was that I’m attracted to you.” If he was nervous, it wasn’t evident. “That I like you.” His fingers brushed some of the hair away from Goro’s face.

“I really… like you.” His voice trailed off as if his nerves got the better of him once Goro didn’t respond. “And I was wonder-”

This night was full of surprises, things he would have never done under normal circumstances. But Akira felt different to him, he felt interested and meaningful. Truthfully, he was attracted to Akira too. Which was why he cut him off with a kiss.

It was a blur but the feeling of warmth still stained his lips, even a year later. The intense twist in his stomach when he felt the pressure of Akira’s lips returning his kiss, the slide of his arms around Goro’s neck and tangled his long fingers in his hair. The soft sigh of contentment when their tongues rubbed against each other lit some fire in his veins that had been dormant all this time. The kiss grew heated as they pulled each other closer, barely breaking for air until it got to be too intense for them both and they pulled away.

The rain that finally fell from the sky could have turned to steam when it hit them.

The couch Akira had offered Goro was never used. They had been so wrapped up in the moment that they wanted to continue it once they finally got to his room. They dried off, but soon indulged in each other without many more words between them other than heated moans and affirmations and praise. The influence of the alcohol was long gone as they explored each other with lips and teeth, strokes and grasps.

The next day, Goro was running late for work which was an event that had never happened before. He wore some of Akira’s clothes to the station, as he obviously hadn’t brought another set. Luckily, he and the pianist were about the same size. His phone had died in the pool the night before but he was still in surprisingly good spirits as Sae lectured him on being late. It was fine, he had plans to meet up with Akira after work at the station and go buy a new phone. Upon learning that him pulling Goro into the pool wrecked his phone, he offered to buy him another one. But not even that dampened his spirits.

There was a spring in his step he couldn’t account for and at lunch, Sae finally asked him about why he was in such a good mood. He unabashedly told her, going on and on about how amazing the whole night was and he saw her smile a few times through his story. He kept it as short as could be but he could tell something was bothering her.

“When are you seeing him again?” She asked, her tone conveyed a thin air of concern.

“In a few hours.” He responded while neatening up a stack of papers on his desk. “I need a new phone and he wanted to have dinner.”

“Good. I’m happy for you.” But the hesitancy in her voice made him pause from his paperwork and look up at her.

“What is it?” He leaned back in his chair but she shook her head and averted her eyes.

“It’s nothing, come on, we have work to do.”

He banished the thought from his head until later at dinner, after Akira went with him to buy a new phone and returned his suit to him after washing and drying it. Of course, it had been too good to be true, or to last. The pianist confessed that he didn’t live in Japan, that he was flown in from America where he had been touring as a soloist as a favor to Ann and Makoto.

Goro was disappointed, very disappointed. He should have known, Akira had a hotel room. That should have been his first clue. It seemed Akira felt just as disappointed as he did though.

“I still want this to work though.” He admitted, reaching out to grab Goro’s hand and hold it tightly, his long fingers intertwining with the detective’s. “I’d do anything to make it work. So, let’s try? I felt so comfortable with you, I’ve never felt that connected to another person…” His voice was cracking and Goro could tell he had been worrying about this all day.

“Why didn’t you bring it up last night?” He asked pointedly, trying not to let his bitterness show through and failing spectacularly.

“I tried but… honestly, that doesn’t change how I feel about you. I would have hated myself forever if I didn’t tell you how much I like you. But I understand if you don’t want-”

“I never said that. I just wanted to know why you didn’t tell me before.” He sighed in frustration but understood. They were both drunk and having fun and anything too serious would have shot the mood down. He probably wasn’t even thinking about it. But now he was presented with a choice that left him feeling sad either way. He mulled it over in silence for a few minutes, Akira’s fingers still wrapped around his own, his eyes boring earnestly into his own with such raw honesty it left him breathless.

“Give it a shot?”

And so he chose that shot at happiness, that outreached hand that offered him so much in so little time.

But now, he often wondered if he made the right decision. Akira was a huge part of his life, every day he thought about him. He would look up his concerts online and read his blogs about his travels that he hosted for his fans. Sometimes, he thought they got more interactions with him than he did. He never felt right calling him his boyfriend. Akira had never officially asked him out either. It had been a whole year of just checking in on each other and catching up. Sometimes they’d video chat, but often times one of them ended up falling asleep.

They tried scheduling time for each other, but Goro’s work was sometimes unpredictable and he missed their rendezvouses far more than attended them so that system quickly unraveled. Having the time difference was so exceedingly difficult, so in his time of loneliness, he stewed on the negatives far more than the positives.

But soon it became abundantly clear that this wasn’t going to work. One night of fun wasn’t enough to justify now 12 days of no communication after the last spam of cat memes and Akira calling him on lunch break. He was tired of checking his phone day after day to nothing. He hadn’t had the heart to check Akira’s blog, nor the strength for it. It was running him down. It hurt too badly. It felt like he had been abandoned beside the small texts of ‘good night’ and ‘good morning’ that felt automated more than personal. It wasn’t enough to keep a relationship afloat. He could distract himself with work, with co-workers, with people, but at the end of the day, he was still lonely.

They hadn’t even talked on the date of their anniversary, Akira had a concert and Goro was busy on a stakeout. He did receive a small text of “I’m sorry I didn’t call” to which he responded he was sorry he didn’t as well, but that was essentially it.

Goro didn’t even know if they could call it an anniversary.

However, two days after, Akira called again, this time on video. He hesitated to answer, being at work but his desperation to finalize this weighed out and he answered the call with a shaky hand and excused himself to the break room.

“Hey.” Akira sounded like death, his voice hoarse and wobbly with exhaustion. He looked worse than the drowned cat he had resembled a year ago in the pool. His hair was tousled more than usual, his eyes rimmed red with sleep. It was probably 3 AM his time and Goro couldn’t help but shake his head.

“You look like shit, go back to sleep.” There was no need to wake up for him. He clenched his fist tightly, letting his fingernails dig into his palm. He didn’t want him to go back to sleep, he didn’t want him to leave, but he didn’t want to keep doing this too.

Akira rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand and smiled. “No, I really missed you. I’ve been trying to negotiate my final tour with my manager and it’s been annoying.” Final tour? This was the first he had heard about it.

“Really, your manager keeps you locked up for two weeks? That’s a human rights violation, you should get a lawyer.” He joked in an even tone, trying to keep his emotions from spilling over into his words. It wasn’t working very well but he tried.

“I’m thinking about it.” He joked but it didn’t make Goro crack a smile. “But I tried calling the other night, and she took my phone from me. I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone about it until things were settled.”

Goro closed his eyes and sighed, regaining his peace of mind. “Are things settled now?”

“Yeah, finally. I’ll have more time now before the tour starts.”

It didn’t feel good enough. Neither of them were going to be able to make time for each other.

“Akira, look we should talk.” He started, his voice already wavering as his resolve began to crumble.

“Ah, that doesn’t sound good… did something happen, are you okay?”

No. The answer caught in his throat and he just couldn’t bring himself to talk. He was still at work, it was going to be messy.

“Yeah, I’m okay… it’s fine, I’ll talk to you about it later.”

Akira pouted and rubbed his eye again. “Well I’m off for a few days, let’s catch up…” Goro sucked in a shallow breath and nodded.

“I have to go back to work.” He gripped his phone tightly, looking at the other man on the screen. The fact that he renegotiated a tour meant that Akira was contracted to America for another year at least. Things were picking up at work for him but they could sort it out tonight. He was dreading it. He felt like he was going to be sick.

“Ah, right. Just give me a call later okay? Like 9 your time? You think you’ll be off?”

Goro nodded, he could tell by the tone of Akira’s voice that he was dreading their conversation. He wondered if he knew what he was going to say.

He was happy he had the day off tomorrow because it was going to take some time to recover from it. They hung up and Goro was dead set on finishing the day strong like nothing was bothering him.

The detective waited at home, watching the clock tick by as slowly as possible. He had tried busying himself, cleaning up, watching television, scrolling through the internet but nothing seemed to be banishing the anxiety he was experiencing. He had finally just settled for staring at his phone. He didn’t feel himself starting to get drowsy and didn’t know what time he fell asleep but he awoke when the buzzing of his ringtone went off. He sat up and yawned, his world slowly coming into focus when he saw Akira’s name on the screen and the time. 9:25 PM. Was he getting that old and run down that he nodded off so early?

Panic set in as he picked up the phone. Not that he was late, but that he was actually going to talk about this.

“Akira-”

“Sorry, I was going to let you call but I got nervous…” He admitted as his words trailed off into a mumble.

“I fell asleep,” Goro whispered. He had to do it now. It was just going to hurt worse in the end if he dragged it out. “Akira, listen.”

But there was a knock on the door of his apartment that made his head snap up.

What? Who would be knocking this late and that loudly?

“Someone at the door? You should answer it, I’ll be here.” Akira reassured him, though he sensed that he was just trying to delay the inevitable.

Goro sighed in irritation and called out, “Hold on!” before scrambling to straighten himself out, keeping the phone glued to his ear the whole time. “I don’t know who this is.” He explained.

“Maybe it’s a ghost or something.” The pianist teased him without much playfulness evident in his tone.

“It’s not a ghost.”

He peeked out through his peephole in the door and saw nothing but dark black, which meant someone was covering the hole. Of all the day someone decided to annoy him, it had to be today and now.

He unlocked the door and threw it open to come face to face with-

“Hey, stranger.”

“A-akira?” He almost dropped his phone. Sure enough, those grey eyes were as warm and inviting as he remembered them, his hair just as untamed as it had been when he saw him on video a few hours ago. He looked exhausted and pale but-

He must have been dreaming.

Akira hung up the phone and gave him the widest smile he had ever seen.

“W-what are you doing here?”

“I told you, I negotiated my tour… my final tour. It’s in Japan.” He explained but it took several minutes for Goro to understand. He was still getting over that Akira was standing in front of him, really here in front of him. He could physically reach out and touch him. Right as he was going to call this whole arrangement off.

“It took a lot of work but I had to beat down my manager from renewing a Europe route, but I told her I was going to start teaching here and she agreed finally. So, I decided to surprise you.” He frowned, messing with the tangle of his bangs and kicked at the ground.

It was a lot to take in, his head was spinning from the news.

“Can I come in?” He finally asked and Goro stepped aside to let him.

He had a million questions and Akira had a million answers. What was a common recurring trend in their conversation was that Akira missed Japan and his friends and Goro that he was starting to get homesick. His chest tightened when Akira was talking over the cup of tea Goro had made for him. He explained just how lonely he had been too. In the end, they felt the same way, so Akira fought to make Japan a final tour in his career. They’d still be apart but in the same time zone at least. Afterwards, the pianist was going to try to teach.

Akira had actually called him on the plane headed over to see when he would be home.

He listened to him talk for a long while, still stewing over the thoughts, the insecurities about their relationship. But here he was, Kurusu Akira sitting on his couch in his apartment in Shibuya telling him that he missed him so much that he couldn’t have lasted much longer. Their feelings were the same and Goro felt---

Relief. That they were on the same page this whole time, even though they were unable to express it.

“I could tell you weren’t happy, hell, I wasn’t happy either.” Akira set his cup down and leaned against him. Some fond place in Goro’s heart warmed at the touch and he wrapped his arm around him.

“It was hard.” He whispered, running his fingers through Akira’s hair and listening to him sigh deeply.

“Yeah, it was hard… but…” The pianist pulled away and looked at him, holding him captive once again as he had a little over a year ago.

“Let’s make this work? Be a couple and try?” He pulled Goro’s hand into his own and squeezed it. The detective chuckled softly and shook his head, leaning forward to kiss his boyfriend tenderly on the lips. He almost melted the thrill of the sensation taking him like he had just been yanked under water when Akira returned the kiss.

“Hmm..” He hummed and pulled away, lacing his fingers in Akira’s. He loved this man and he knew that. He had known for a long time and that’s why them being apart hurt so badly.

And he could tell by the way Akira looked at him that he felt the exact same way about him as well. So Goro offered a warm smile and nodded.

“We can give it a shot.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> My twitter is @ chromiekins!


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